Tanzania - Sydia Nduna's work with Burundian refugees in the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Programme at Kibondo, Tanzania --which was described in Pain Too Deep for Tears and A Safe Space Created By and For Women-- has shaped the next phase of interventions. The IRC-supported programme used in-depth interviews and a survey to assess the prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence in the refugee camps. The results showed that 27% of 3,803 randomly selected Burundian refugee women (12-49 years old) had been raped since becoming refugees.

Based on these data, a community-based programme was introduced to respond to the survivors' needs. The first step in this programme was the dissemination of the findings: once data had been compiled by representatives of the female refugees, they returned to their communities to share the findings. During the dissemination meetings, the roles of women and men pre- and post- displacement were discussed, along with suggestions for responding to sexual violence in the camp setting.

The next step was the establishment of a 24-hour drop-in centre staffed by refugee women. Located in the maternity wing of the camp medical facility, the centre offers a confidential, safe and friendly environment within close reach of medical assistance where women gather regularly. Because the centre offers a wide range of gynaecological and health services, as well as addressing sexual violence, people cannot assume that every woman who comes there has been raped. This helps survivors avoid being identified or stigmatised for seeking assistance. Services at the centre include counselling, medical attention, emergency contraception and legal advice and protection. Staff also conduct follow-up visits with each woman.

Subsequent steps involved groups of women and men coming together to develop a community intervention team approach to support survivors, punish perpetrators and prevent further sexual violence. The culmination of this work coincided with the International 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence in 1997. The theme, "Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: A Community Issue," was the focal point of this celebration that commemorated both survivors and women who had died from sexual and gender-based violence. The event was a critical opportunity for the community to address this issue publicly. Women leaders organised the event with the support of male leaders; they invited international NGOs and UN representatives which made public statements of their commitment to combating sexual and gender-based violence.

Congo-Brazzaville - In January 1998, the IRC, in collaboration with UNDP and UNIFEM, initiated its "Programme Against Sexual Violence" in Congo-Brazzaville. This was a multi-faceted effort to address the sexual violence that had occurred during the July-November 1997 conflict, which included:

• community awareness-raising to support survivors and prevent further sexual violence;
• training for health workers on medical care for the survivors of sexual violence;
• development of a cadre of social workers and psychological aides skilled in giving psychosocial assistance to survivors;
• sensitisation of police and justice officials on protocols for the legal assistance of survivors;
• social and legal reform.

Community groups, students, journalists and other opinion leaders received sensitisation training, while health-care workers took courses on medical consequences of rape and other forms of sexual violence. Social workers and psychological aides were trained on detection, care and referral of rape survivors. Judges, lawyers, public prosecutors and other officials of the Ministry of Justice received training in the application of national and international laws regarding sexual violence, while police received training on sexual violence sensitisation, legal rights of victims and the role of law enforcement officers. Training for the military covered international conventions governing war, human rights, sexual violence and the rights of women and the responsibilities of public forces. Unfortunately, the implementation of this programme was interrupted with the resumption of conflict in Brazzaville.

The experiences gained in Tanzania and Congo-Brazzaville provide several guiding principles for programmes addressing sexual violence among refugees:

• Confidentiality and trust must be established between survivors and staff.
• The needs of the survivors of sexual violence must shape the design of programmes.
• A programme can only be sustained when it is community-run and owned and founded on participatory methods. In the long term, when the refugees repatriate, they can carry the concepts back to their own country.
• Programmes must be multi-dimensional in approach – not only health services but also social support, legal assistance and community-based interventions are needed.
• Programmes need to include ways for staff to manage their own stress.
• Involving men is essential.
• The work and learning involved in the process can improve the overall position of women in their society. Women participating in programmes gain valuable experience and sharpen their leadership skills as well as their analysis and understanding of issues. This can serve them in their future lives and increase the number of women in positions of authority who will influence wide-ranging decisions for the benefit of all women, men and children.

Reports of these programmes are available on the IRC website: www.intrescom.org.